10 at 7: What You Need to Know Today

January 5, 2017, 3:58 am

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Here are the 10 things you need to know to start your day from your friends at NBC10.

TODAY'S TOP STORY

Dozens Injured After 2 Trolleys Collide: Two trolleys crashed on Lancaster Avenue in West Philadelphia on Wednesday, leaving 46 people with minor injuries, officials on the scene said. "It's like a bomb set off," one passenger told NBC10. "It just like really hit us so hard that it just like knocked everybody on the floor and everything.” Both Route 10 trolleys were heading west in the Powelton Village section about 1 p.m. near 38th Street when one of the trolleys rear-ended another. SEPTA said none of the injuries were life-threatening. A fire department battalion chief on the scene said four of the 46 passengers and operators who were injured were taken to a nearby hospital.

• MORE ON THE CRASH

YOUR FIRST ALERT FORECAST  

The cold air should return by Thursday and snow is possible for the evening and into Friday morning. Light snow could begin to arrive around 7 p.m. Thursday. The snow is expected to move through by Friday morning and Friday should be dry much of the day. Saturday and Sunday are expected to be cold but dry. The cold temperatures are expected to stick around Monday. High Temp: 35 Degrees. Get your full NBC10 First Alert forecast here.

WHAT YOU MISSED YESTERDAY

Macy's to Close Dozens of Stores, Cut Jobs: Macy's announced Wednesday it is shutting down 65 stores in 2017 and eliminating an estimated 10,000 jobs as it battles slowing sales and growing online competition. The closures are part of a previously planned shutdown of about 100 stores, out of its 730, that the company announced in August 2016. Macy’s already shuttered three stores in the middle of 2016. On Wednesday, Macy’s said it will close 63 locations in early spring 2017 and another two mid-year. The company says about 3,900 employees will be affected by the closures. It also will eliminate about 6,200 other positions as part of an effort to streamline operations and reduce expenses so it can invest more in its digital operations.

• MORE ON THE CLOSURES

AROUND THE WORLD

LIRR Train Derails in Brooklyn; 103 People Hurt: A Long Island Rail Road train derailed at Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn at the height of Wednesday's morning rush, injuring more than 100 people and riddling the track area with shattered glass and debris.  Officials say 103 people were hurt when the six-car train from Far Rockaway struck the bumping block at the terminal's track 6 around 8:30 a.m. The train went up and over the block; the impact knocked the wheels of the first car and one other axle off the rails, MTA Chairman Tom Prendergast said at the scene. The train was likely coming in at a fairly low rate of speed -- the posted speed limit on approach to the terminal is 5 mph, according to officials -- at the time of the crash, Gov. Cuomo said. Many riders were standing, prepared to get off, at the time of the derailment. Several passengers complained of neck and back injuries after the accident. Some people were carried away on stretchers; others were sitting outside the train holding ice packs to their heads.

• MORE ON THE DERAILMENT

TODAY'S TALKER

VP Biden Plans University of Delaware Partnership: Vice President Joe Biden is developing a partnership with the University of Delaware that will focus on economic and domestic policy, a Biden aide said Wednesday, rounding out the vice president's plans for after he leaves the White House. In addition to working with the Delaware school, Biden's alma mater, he  also plans an affiliation with the University of Pennsylvania. The Ivy League school in the state of his birth will house Biden's activities on foreign policy and global engagement initiatives, said the aide, who requested anonymity because the partnership hasn't yet been publicly announced. The two partnerships shed new light on how Biden will spend his time as a private citizen after more than four decades in public office. First elected to the Senate in 1972, Biden served there until becoming the vice president in 2009.

• MORE ON THE PARTNERSHIP

SPORTS SPOT

Villanova Loses to Butler: The Wildcats lost 58 to 66 against Butler. Get your full sports news at CSNPhilly.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

See more Top News Photos here.

THROUGH IGER'S EYES

@jlisacek captured this cool photo of the streets of Philadelphia.

Have an awesome Instagram photo you'd like to share? Tag it with #NBC10Buzz.

TODAY'S VIRAL VIDEO

Check out these unbelieveable yachts. Watch more here.

A LITTLE SWEETENER 

White House Photographer Shares Favorite Obama Photos: Pete Souza, chief official White House photographer, released a series of images from 2016 of President Obama and the White House, inclding both serious moments and impromptu moments of levity. Here are a few highlights from the past year in the White House. Read more.

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That's what you need to know. We've got more stories worthy of your time in the Breakfast Buzz section. Click here to check them out. 

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Extremely Rare Whale Washes Up

January 5, 2017, 3:32 am

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A Blainesville's beaked whale washed up dead on a New Jersey beach, only the second time in a generation the extremely rare specimen has been seen on the region's shores.

The Marine Mammal Stranding Center reported Wednesday that the 15-foot male weighed roughly 800 pounds when it was found at Island Beach State Park. It was already decomposing when found, so it was not clear when the animal actually died. 

The last time this particular type of whale washed up in the state was 1989. Part of that animal is in the center's museum in Brigantine.

According to the conservation charity WDC, the whale is known for a beak that resembles a dolphin's, and prefers deeper, tropical waters. 

Photo Credit: Marine Mammal Stranding Center

1st Water Main Break of 2017

January 5, 2017, 3:43 am

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Four days into the new year, the city of Hoboken is already dealing with its first water main break. 

Residents have long been weary of the main breaks in the square-mile New Jersey city: in 2016 alone, they dealt with 20 of them. 

• LIRR Train Derails in Brooklyn; 103 People Hurt

And again on Wednesday, a water main broke on Observer Highway, leaving people living in a 300-unit apartment building nearby waterless. 

Suez Water's contract to run the system pays the city just a third of a million dollars a year, while Hoboken must use that money to repair pipes, since it owns them, city officials have said. 

• Macy's to Close 65 Stores in 2017, Cut 10K Jobs

Mayor Dawn Zimmer is trying to renegotiate. 

"I want to make sure that we have an agreement that's fair to the people of Hoboken and offers the most investments each year as possible," she told NBC 4 New York."

• Woman Behind Viral Michaels Tirade Stands Behind Her Reaction

Meanwhile, $17 million will be spent this year on a new water main and repaving of busy Washington Street. Another $5 million will be bonded to replace the miles of hundred-year-old pipes, but that will take time, officials said.

Suez describes year-long negotiations as active. Zimmer agreed, but also said they were frustrating. Nonetheless, she hopes a deal can be worked out by the end of 2017 so that more money could be used to fix more pipes. 

Photo Credit: Joe Shine

Victim Shot in Head Dies on Philly Street

January 5, 2017, 4:49 am

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A gunman killed a man along a Strawberry Mansion street overnight, leaving his victim face down on the street, said Philadelphia Police.

Officers arrived the Oakdale Street, near Myrtlewood Street, around 1:20 a.m. Thursday to find a 26-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound to the head.

• Dylann Roof: 'Nothing Wrong With Me Psychologically'
  

"Medics pronounced him on the scene," said Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small.

Witnesses told officers that a man wearing a hat and dark clothing approached the victim, fired then drove off in a car, said Small.

• Investigation Into Death of Girl, 8, on NYE in NJ

Investigators found shell casings from two separate guns, said Small.

Police didn’t immediately have a motive for the shooting and hoped that surveillance cameras could help them track down the killer, said police.

Photo Credit: NBC10

President-Elect Trump Not Budging on Health Care Plans

January 5, 2017, 5:20 am

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Vice President-Elect Mike Pence spoke on Capitol Hill and stated that overturning Obamacare is still a priority for the incoming Trump Administration.

Photo Credit: AP

Philly Priest Fights Retrial on Covering Up Clergy Sex Abuse

January 5, 2017, 6:00 am

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The man at the center of the clergy sex abuse scandal in the Philadelphia Archdiocese headed back to court Monday as he fought an attempt to retry him on charges that he covered up abuse cases.

Attorneys argued Thursday whether or not there should be a retrial for Monsignor William Lynn.

• Lynn, Accused of Shielding Abusive Priests, Free on Bail

Lynn’s attorney, Thomas Bergstrom, says there was wrongdoing by prosecutors five years ago. He filed motions, in part, arguing that the commonwealth hid evidence in the 2012 trial that could have been favorable to Lynn's defense.

Lynn already served 33 months of a 3- to 6-year sentence dating back to the previous trial, where he was convicted of covering up clergy sex abuse — the first Catholic official in the city to be convicted on those charges.

• 2 Days After Prison Release, Lynn Gets Date for New Trial

That conviction was overturned as the Pennsylvania Superior Court believed jurors heard too much evidence about unrelated matters. The commonwealth appealed to the state supreme court, which upheld the lower court’s decision, leading to Lynn’s release — on bail — from prison in August.

Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams has vowed to keep fighting for the conviction.

• Student Charged for Racist Video That Sparked Fight: DA

Photo Credit: AP

Snow Overnight, Then Blast of Cold

January 5, 2017, 8:22 am

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First, the Snow

Light snow is moving closer and will arrive Thursday evening. Here's how the radar looks Thursday morning:

• School Delays & Closings

 
Not a very impressive system, we can’t really even call it a storm. But it’s an area of snow moving in our neighborhoods tonight. Now here is what the weather map will look like this evening around 8 o'clock as the snow starts accumulating.

 
By late this evening, light snowfall will be more widespread.

• Camera Rolls as Boy Dangles From Chairlift

 
But this light snow won't last long, it's mostly offshore by 6am, well before sunrise and before the morning commute is well underway.

So that's it, a gentle snowfall and all of it falling at night when most are at home! That will make it easier for roads to be treated before the traffic picks up Friday morning.

• Extremely Rare Whale Washes Up Dead on New Jersey Beach

How much snow? Expect on average, about an inch or two. Higher elevations, mainly in Pennsylvania could get a bit more than the valleys, but not much more. The wind should also be very light, which is unusual for a snowfall.

Don’t Forget the Cold

Arctic air is moving in now, and it’s just going to get colder and colder as we head toward the weekend. Here are predicted temperatures at 7 a.m. Sunday from the latest computer model:

 
Remember, these are temperatures, not wind chills. Expect 15-30 mph winds Sunday, so wind chills should be down near ZERO in places.

But, like other cold blasts this season, it’s not going to last for long. The warm up starts Tuesday. Check out the forecast maps for Wednesday compared to normal:

 
That’s the entire eastern half of the country with above normal temperatures!

Photo Credit: Getty Images
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NBC10 Responds: Cataract Reimbursement Trouble

January 5, 2017, 7:24 am

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When Edward Janke wasn't getting his reimbursement for post-surgery eyeglasses, he contacted Harry Hairston and NBC10 Responds.

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Billy Joel Bringing Piano Back to Phillies Ballpark

January 5, 2017, 9:23 am

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The Piano Man is returning to Philadelphia to set a new mark at the home of the Phillies.

Billy Joel will play Citizens Bank Park on Sept. 9. The concert marks the fourth consecutive year the legendary "Piano Man" will play the South Philadelphia ballpark.

• Lionel Richie, Mariah Carey Bring 'All the Hits' to Philly

Live Nation joined the Phillies Thursday to make the announcement about Joel's sixth-overall concert at CBP following five sell outs.

"This will be the sixth time that legendary artist Billy Joel will take to the stage, where he will once again have the distinct honor of performing at Citizens Bank Park more often than any other entertainer," said Phillies executive vice president and COO Michael Stiles.

• Tony Bennett Talks Sinatra, Baldwin, Birthday With Fallon

Not only will Joel take the stage on Sept. 9 but he will do so with another accolade to add to his six Grammy Awards, Tony Award and Kennedy Center Honor as Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney proclaimed the date "Billy Joel Day" in the city of Brotherly Love.

Tickets (ranging from $54.50 to $129.50 before fees) go on sale to the general public on Friday, Jan. 13 at 10 a.m. while American Express Card members get first crack starting Monday at 10 a.m. followed by other presales for Live Nation and Phillies ticket holders in the days leading up to the general public sale date.

Photo Credit: Getty Images for ASCAP

Follow That Snow Plow in Montco Township

January 5, 2017, 11:27 am

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A Montgomery County township wants residents and workers to know exactly when public works crews get to plowing roads.

Upper Merion Township announced Thursday the launch of interactive GIS-based mapping system TRAISR to "show exactly when and where leaf removal, street sweeping and snow removal has occurred."

• 511PA App Tracks Snow Plow Routes Around Philly

The township said in its news release that the system is most important during snow events, like what is expected overnight Thursday into Friday:

"Residents can log on to the portal via the township website and see an interactive map of snow emergency routes. Once the snow stops and the township begins final clean-up mode, only then will the map reflect which roads have been plowed: green roads have been cleared, light gray roads are still to be completely cleared."

• Snow Overnight, Then Blast of Cold

The system basically uses GPS tracking of township vehicles to update a public mapping portal every 15 minutes once a "storm event has passed," said the township, which encompasses King of Prussia, Gulph Mills, part of Wayne and other towns.

"TRAISR will provide another layer of transparency for our residents that hasn't been available until recently," said supervisor chair Bill Jenaway. "Real-time tracking will not only being more efficiency to public works operations, but all provide residents with better information to hopefully alleviate some of the concerns associated with storm cleanup."

• Better Times: Montco Township Returns to 5-Day Workweek

In case you’re having trouble tracking that plow, the township released a video to help people navigate the mapping portal.

Photo Credit: Upper Merion Township

Customer Lament after Macy's Announces Store Closures

January 5, 2017, 1:36 pm

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Anne Venezia prefers shopping at Macy's to shopping at Macys.com.

And the Montgomery County woman prefers the Macy's at Plymouth Meeting Mall to fighting the hustle and bustle (and parking woes) to shop at the department store at the King of Prussia Mall.

• Macy's to Close 65 Stores in 2017, Cut 10K Jobs

Soon, her top option will be gone.

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• Sears to Sell Craftsman Tool Brand for $900M

"I always shop at Macy's. And I prefer coming into the store, seeing what I'm purchasing," the longtime West Norriton resident said as she perused the women's wear for some post-Christmas deals at the Plymouth Meeting Mall's Macy's. "King of Prussia is too overwhelming for someone my age. I've been coming here for years."

She said she doesn't know what she'll do when it closes later this year.

• 2nd 'Code Blue' of Winter Declared in Montco

The Plymouth Meeting Mall's anchor store is among three in the Philadelphia region that will close as part of a corporate downsizing by Macy's, which announced the closures of 68 stores nationwide along with 10,000 job cuts by the end of 2017.

In addition to the Plymouth Meeting Mall store, which celebrated its 50th year at that location in 2016, the Macy's stores at Moorestown Mall and Voorhees Town Center in New Jersey and Neshaminy Valley Mall in Bucks County will also close.

The Neshaminy location opened in 1968 and the Moorestown location opened in 1999. The three stores had a combined staff of 270, according to a press release announcing the locations to close.

Macy's previously announced 100 store closures, of which these stores are part of that move in a large corporate restructuring.

"As we’ve noted, it is essential that we maintain a healthy portfolio of the right stores in the right places. Our plan to close approximately 100 stores over the next few years is an important part of our strategy to help us right-size our physical footprint as we expand our digital reach,” the company said in statement.

One of the region's largest real estate holdings trusts, PREIT, which owns the Plymouth Meeting and Moorestown malls, said in a statement Thursday that the corporation is confident it will fill the large retail spaces when Macy's vacates.

"Demand for the Macy's spaces is robust with new opportunities situated in desirable locations in quality, high barrier-to-entry markets," PREIT CEO Joseph Coradino said. "For Moorestown and Plymouth Meeting Malls, we are negotiating (letters of intent) for replacement stores and anticipate making detailed announcements in the near future."

Photo Credit: Brian X. McCrone/NBC10
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Shapiro Gets Warm, Tearful Send-Off at Final Montco Meeting

January 5, 2017, 3:06 pm

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On his way out the door, one of Pennsylvania's most polished politicians didn't pass up an opportunity at low-brow humor.

"Is it one-ply or two-ply?" soon-to-be state Attorney General Josh Shapiro asked jokingly before a vote on the county's purchase of "paper products" during his last meeting as Montgomery County commissioner.

• South Philadelphia Bank Closes Acquisition of Montco Peer

After the county clerk assured him it was two-ply, Shapiro said he wanted to make sure the 2,700 county employees he oversaw the last five years were taken care of after he left.

Some of those employees, mostly from Shapiro's staff and upper department management, filled the eighth-floor boardroom Thursday for the outgoing commissioner. Many of them lauded him for his time in office.

• Father of Montco Teen Found Dead in Woods: 'Wish I Knew'

Fellow Commissioner Val Arkoosh, a Democrat like Shapiro who took over as chairwoman of the three-member board, choked up as she recounted her time working with Shapiro.

"What started out as a political acquaintance has become a deep friendship," Arkoosh said, cheerfully remembering the time a couple years ago when she bought an Apple Watch for herself the day before Shapiro bought himself one.

• Large Turnout Expected for $58M Montco School Proposal

"That may be one of the only races you've ever lost," she said.

After the meeting, Shapiro said he would submit his letter of resignation to the Montgomery County president judge. That would begin the process of filling his seat on the commissioners' board, Arkoosh said.

The next step would be a period for nominations to be submitted by the public to the county Court of Common Pleas, whose 21 judges would then appoint a successor to fill Shapiro's remaining term.

The term runs through 2019.

Photo Credit: Brian X. McCrone/NBC10

Elderly Kensington Man Victim of Home Invasion

January 5, 2017, 3:15 pm

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Police say three men posing as PGW employees entered an 87-year-old Kensington man's home. They threatened to hurt the former teacher if he didn't give them money. NBC10's Aundrea Cline-Thomas spoke with neighbors and family members about the break-in.

Preparing for Snow in Pennsylvania

January 5, 2017, 3:17 pm

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PennDOT crews pre-treated the roads on Thursday afternoon in Norristown. NBC10’s Randy Gyllenhaal found out how PennDOT and local contractors are preparing for the coming winter blast.

Gearing Up For Harsh Cold and Flu Season

January 5, 2017, 3:19 pm

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Emergency rooms are preparing for another harsh cold season. They call it the triple threat: stomach bugs, respiratory illness and the flu. NBC10's Deanna Durante was at the Abington Hospital ER where they're being inundated with all three.

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Tracking Snow

January 5, 2017, 4:07 pm

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The NBC10 First Alert Weather Team is tracking snow in our region. NBC10 First Alert Weather Chief Meteorologist Glenn “Hurricane” Schwartz tells us what to expect and when.

NE Philly Water Main Break Floods Homes

January 5, 2017, 4:09 pm

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A water main break flooded a neighborhood in Northeast Philadelphia on Thursday. NBC10’s Rosemary Connors took a closer look at the damage in one Millbrook Road home.

Locals React to Obamacare Fight

January 5, 2017, 4:26 pm

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President Obama urged congressional Democrats to preserve his healthcare law on Wednesday. NBC10’s Lauren Mayk found out how local people are reacting to the Obamacare debate.

Preparing for Snow in NJ

January 5, 2017, 4:26 pm

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The Jersey Shore could see a one-two punch of snow by the end of the week. NBC10 Jersey Shore Bureau Reporter Ted Greenberg has the latest on how crews are preparing in Atlantic County.

Delaware Prepares for Snow

January 5, 2017, 5:45 pm

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DelDOT is pre-treating the roads for Thursday night's snowfall. NBC10 Delaware Bureau Reporter, Tim Furlong, has the details on minimizing road issues for the Friday morning rush.